Do you work abroad? Have you relocated to another country for your job in the past? In which case you’ll know that taking on new employment in another country can come with a cost.

Consulting firm Mercer has published its annual list of Cost of Living Rankings for 2015, which gives an insight into which cities are the most expensive for ex-patriots to live in.
The survey looks at no less than 207 cities across the world, and establishes a ranking based on a wide range of different factors. Using the US dollar as a reference currency, Mercer analysed the housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment costs for each city in order to establish the list.

It might come as a surprise but the most expensive city for expats to live in is Luanda in Angola, which has ranked in top place for the third year running. This is because of the substantial price tag which comes when importing goods as well as having to pay for security.
Hong Kong, previously in third place now comes in second position, and is closely followed by Zurich, Singapore and Geneva. The list suggests that is has become increasingly expensive for companies to send their employees to work in Asia. Meanwhile Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan is apparently the cheapest city of the 207 included in the report.

Ilya Bonic, Senior Partner and President of Mercer’s Talent business commented: “Aligning workforce and mobility strategies by ensuring the right employees are in the right places is more critical than ever to manage globalization. Properly compensating employees on international assignments is as important as it is costly.”

Based on this report, companies will probably think twice before sending employees to take up new positions in Angola.